7 Quick Takes: Favorites edition, 11/6/15

Unbelievably, November is here!  Fall weather, foggy mornings, more rain, and football.  Ah, football.  At least one of my two teams is doing well.  For this 7QT, lucky you, they're all based on my favorite things!  My wife & son being first, and the rest being in no particular order.

1) My wife Erin is a beautiful, beautiful woman and I'm very blessed to be married to her.  Easy #1 choice for my favorites!  There's also my little son, Leo.  He's 9 months old now, and we only have a few minutes together in the morning and about an hour in the evening.  Work gets in the way, alas...  For Halloween, we dressed him up in a pumpkin costume.  Cutest and most wiggly pumpkin ever!  We couldn't get a single picture of him smiling and staying still.  

Just soak in the cuteness.  Imagine him crawling with
what looks like a little beer belly--even more adorable

Whoever on Pinterest that showed how to make an Ewok costume for a toddler, I will be thanking you next year.  

2) I love to read, especially books on the Catholic faith.  My interests also include history, although those books tend to require a little more discipline to read.  I just finished this book on Fatima, and I'd recommend it to anyone.  Tomorrow (11/7) is the first Saturday of the month.  Make this the first of your 5 First Saturdays, just like Our Lady asked!  

Come to our aid, Immaculate Queen!

3) Movies are another good source of entertainment, usually.  We've had hits--The Book Thief was excellent (though not a happy movie)--and misses (nearly any secular comedy we've watched in the last couple years).  We have tested out some religious movies, as well.  I've learned a few things... 

*Very few are made outside of Italy, which makes for a problem with... 

*...dubbed-over voices.  I'd much rather hear the actors speak in Italian than have a voice-over actor attempt to fill in the voices.  Can't stand it!

*Some religious movies, however well-intentioned, are bad.  BAD.  (there, I said it)  And it's okay that I feel that way.  It's a funny feeling, the guilt!  If some sort of secular movie had subpar acting, dialogue that doesn't translate well to the screen, I wouldn't feel the least bit guilty about lampooning it.  

*As long as a biblical movie doesn't wind up in the we-couldn't-make-it-through-20-minutes category, they're a good exercise in imaginative prayer.  We recently watched Mary of Nazareth, which was good.  There were so many scenes in the movie that I inwardly thought, 'I pictured it happening a different way' and... there you are, reflecting on a story from the Bible.  

*P.S. only two movies have made it into our we-couldn't-make-it-through-20-minutes category: one religious movie that out of guilt I will not name, and second, the horrendous secular movie Friends With Kids.  Its worst sin?  It wasn't funny.  It had an all-star cast of hilarious comedians and the movie was boring!  

4) Star Wars!  I grew up on it as a kid and I'm really excited to see Episode VII.  The new international trailer was just released... I don't buy the theories that say Luke Skywalker is Kylo Ren, but the tide of speculation is trending toward Luke turning to the dark side.  Kudos to JJ Abrams for this nice gesture, by the way.  

5) For football, Notre Dame is having a good season so far, and I think they'll end up a top 10 team.  Not so sure they'll make the playoff, but at least they're not having as bad of a season as the 49ers.  Seriously, seriously painful.  The owner and GM have driven the team into the ground.  

6) I came upon an old mix CD that I put together, entitled Relax Mix.  I hadn't listened to it in a while, so all the tracks were a surprise.  I'm still amazed at the effect that a great song can have--enticing your imagination to go off to a different place, using melodies, instruments, solos, and sometimes raw emotion.  This was one of the songs from that mix, enjoy!

7) Finally, I do like to write--though you'd never know it for often I write on this blog.  I was lucky to write another post at the Cora Evans blog, this time on 5 Catholic scientists making an impact on society.  My wife had the best idea of everyone on the list, Dr. Hilgers: the founder of the Paul VI Institute and one man responsible for probably thousands of babies being born.  Including Leo.  :)

More quick takes at www.thisaintthelyceum.org!

7QT: anniversary edition, 10/9/15

On our honeymoon in Ireland

1) Today, my wife and I celebrate our 5th anniversary.  I didn't know what to expect when I got married, but it's exceeded everything I thought it would be.  I never thought I could love someone so much!  I'm a blessed man to have her; I can't imagine my life without her.

2) Our little boy is almost 9 months old, and it's been a joy to watch him grow.  When I get home from work in the evening, I have about an hour with him.  I usually play with him (also known as distracting him so that my wife can get things done).  It's truly the highlight of my day.  HOW COOL IS IT HAVING A CUTE LITTLE GUY????  Yes, that's me shouting.  It's that cool.

3) I am taking a long weekend to attempt to recover from the biggest project I've ever worked on.  I was on a small team that coordinated the move of a three-story building into two new buildings.  The amount of details was burdensome and the stress was worse than anything I can remember.  Although the message we tried to get across to our fellow employees was...

...for some folks, it turned out more like this:

I've worked on many smaller-scale moves for work before; I forgot the #1 rule of moves.  Some people can't deal with change and it makes them stressed.  Then they make sure you know that they're unhappy.

4) I have another article up on the Cora Evans blog, this one on a piece of St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa.  I hadn't looked at the Summa in quite a while.  Part of my assignment was to comment on why the Summa still has value to modern-day Catholics.  I hadn't thought about it before, to be honest, so it was a good exercise for me.  With those articles, I think I learn much more in writing it than anyone does reading it.  Did you know the entire Summa is online at New Advent, along with the old edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia?

5) Back to the anniversary.  Today is also the feast day of Bl. John Henry Newman, a towering intellect of the 19th century.  Let me present reason #567,923 that God loves and cares about me...

a. Erin wanted to have a fall wedding, so we looked at October.  In 2010, Oct. 2 was a Saturday, and a really neat feast day: the Guardian Angels.  We were just about to book the date when a friend from back home sent out their save-the-date cards... for that very day.  We had some mutual wedding guests, and I really didn't want said guests to have to pick between attending a wedding 15 minutes away versus a wedding 550 miles away.  Erin and I went with the following Saturday, the 9th, avoiding the temptation to have the wedding on Sunday, 10/10/10.


b. I wrote my masters thesis on Bl. John Henry Newman--and finishing my degree was the occasion of my meeting Erin.

c. In September 2010, Pope Benedict XVI went on a trip to England.  Among other things, he beatified  John Henry Newman.  Long after our wedding date had been chosen, weeks after the invitations had gone out... Pope Benedict named October 9th as Newman's feast day.

6) If you're up for a thick but great read, pick up Newman's Apologia Pro Vita Sua.  It was the primary source material of my thesis.  There are many editions out, but you could also read it for free if you wanted to.  Newmanreader.org has all of his written works and collections of his sermons.  The book is fascinating, as we gives us a guided tour of his soul.  The "chapters" are divided among the various periods of his life.  Originally, each chapter was a pamphlet, and they were published one by one.

Because Legos have always been cool...

...and will always be cool

7) The Dodgers start their playoff series tonight against the Mets.  Let's go Dodgers!  Get out the rally bananas!  (no, that's not something dirty, I promise)  Clayton Kershaw is pitching tonight and he has some making up to do after the last few postseasons.  

7QT: grab bag and the end of the world, 8/1/15

My long-delayed return to the 7QT fray!  

1) It sounds dumb to say, but I care less about clothes.  My wife can attest, I haven't always sought to be the most fashionable guy.  Like many guys (I like to think), apathy often wins over dapper dressing.

The reason I care less about clothes?  Most of my t-shirts have been puked on, peed on, or drooled on.  One t-shirt in particular: Leo emptied the contents of his tiny stomach onto it.  I took it off, put stain remover on it, and it went in the wash.  The next day, when it came out of the dryer, I put it on again.  It took less than 10 minutes for Leo to puke on it again.  

2)  I have another article up at coraevans.com, this time on Ignatian spirituality.  The folks there are remarkably patient with a hack like me.  They kindly helped me finish part two of the treatment on Ignatian spirituality.  

3) I know I'm behind as far as this blog is concerned... this is my first post in a couple months... but the shock of the Supreme Court decision was considerable.  Actually, not so much that it happened (just take a quick stroll through TV shows over the past ten years), but seeing so much dissent among Catholics.  Well, living in a few different parishes and working in the Church for a time after college, that actually isn't all that surprising.  Those thoughts are pretty depressing.  

One Scripture verse that helped me was stunningly simple: 
"All his precepts are trustworthy, they are established for ever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness." (Ps 111:7-8)

God's laws are not popular, always convenient, or what we want.  Yet they are trustworthy!  Not because a guy in the Church says so, but because of Our Father in heaven.

Over-the-top picture for purposes of levity

4) As things happen in the world, I wonder how close we are to the end times.  No, really!  I've read Mark Mallett (who's great), Charlie Johnston, and other pings are registering, too.  Charlie is of the opinion that sh-tuff is going to get REAL in 2016 for about a year or so.  I haven't read up on it in a while, but some of the things Charlie said reminded me of what was given to the Medugorje visionaries.   

It's a hard message--if they're correct, what lies ahead is the worst catastrophe in the history of civilization--and I appreciate Mark's and Charlie's take on their predictions: 

a) they submit whole-heartedly to the Catholic Church, the Scriptures, and Sacred Tradition
b) the strongest theme of Mark's writings is hope
c) Charlie isn't fanatical about the instructions he's given.  He merely passes on the message. 
d) both guys repeat and repeat to return to faith in God

Becoming a Dodgers fan is simply
the right thing to do.

5) One of my favorite homilists, Fr. Robert Barron, is now Bishop-Elect Robert Barron!  The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is lucky to have him.  From my time as a seminarian, I developed a new appreciation for the tough job that every bishop has.  They deal with a lot of crap (more than we ever know about), have to fight for the faith not only in the secular world but with their own clergy & chancery, and somehow have to maintain their own spiritual lives in the midst of all that.  

Maybe Bishop-Elect Barron will have to start rooting for the Dodgers, given his new digs... 

6) Ok, back to #4.  That kind of thing has been on my mind a lot lately.  Watching one of Charlie Johnston's latest videos made it sink in even more.  While the best preparation we can do is spiritual, that doesn't mean that we can't materially prepare.  I don't believe it's a violation in trust to prepare a "Get Home Bag" in case I need to walk home from work.  To that list, I'd add a small copy of the Bible, a rosary, and a St. Benedict medal. 

7) Still on #4.  The mentioning of somewhat specific dates by Charlie Johnston ("sometime in 2016" is as detailed as it gets) raises a red flag in some respects.  I have to mull it over some more, and pray about it even more than that; I don't have a reason not to believe him right now.  Even if his messages are wrong, redoubling our dedication to Christ is never out of season!  

7QT: love love edition, 5/15/15

So much for my resolution on Monday to write every day.  Onward to 7 Quick Takes!

1) This morning was the monthly men's group breakfast, and we started watching Fr. Robert Barron's "Seven Deadly Sins/Seven Lively Virtues" series.  The first deadly sin covered was pride, and its antithetical virtue is humility.  The content was great, as would be expected of Fr. Barron.  It pointed out to me how proud of a person I am, and how tough of a vice it is to fight.  That's kind of a proud thing to say, in the sense of false humility ("oh, I'm suuuuuch a sinner!"), but I really do mean it (which is what the falsely humble would also say, too, to insist how sincere their nothingness is).  Being selfish is incredibly easy, especially in this culture... 

2) ...nothing pointed that out to me more than a movie we watched tonight, "He's Just Not That Into You."  Whenever we first watched it, I remember enjoying it more than we did tonight.  Just about all the characters were selfish and shallow.  Love had more to do with the feeling of the moment and what was good for the self.  Only one couple out of the ensemble cast displayed some selfless aspects of love, and they finished the movie by committing to each other and promising never to get married.  Romantic, isn't it?

3) It stuck out to me for two reasons.  The first, I'm so thankful to be Catholic.  (false humility warning)  Life has meaning, and love doesn't have to fit into the inadequate definitions of a pagan movie.  Because as the good Fr. Barron taught us this morning, love is willing the good for the other.  And doing so leads to the second striking thing... 

4) ...love is a very difficult choice to make.  So many people inflict pain on themselves through bad choices.  One of the characters in the movie started an affair with a married man (at the suggestion of her friend), and it was a disaster.  The married man lost his wife and mistress due to his lying; the mistress ended up more confused and more wounded than before; the wife genuinely tried to make an effort to work on the marriage, but it was too late.  Relationships evolve over time, how could they not?  The essence stays the same (or hopefully should), but the particulars are bound to change.  

In front of St. Patrick's Cathedral (that the Anglicans really
should give back to the Catholics), on our honeymoon in Ireland

5) I looked through our wedding albums tonight after my beloved wife went to bed.  It reminded me of that fact that relationships evolve.  I remember what it was like when we first became a couple.  It was amazing and thrilling!  Those thrills didn't disappear, but were composed differently as time went on--one month, two, six, and so on--we started talking marriage.  Then we were engaged, and planning the wedding, and what a glorious day the wedding was!  We've been married over 4 years and have an adorable baby.  There's no way we can go back to what it was like when we'd only been dating two months... and I wouldn't want to.  Our love has taken root, grown, been pruned by suffering, and grown some more.  What we have is wonderful!  

6) In the movie, they had flip phones and Blackberries.  Flip phones!!!  Was 2009 really that long ago?

7) I'm always a take short.  Since the theme of the 7QT is love, I'd like to recommend Love Love Teriyaki in Salem (the one on Center St.).  Erin introduced me to it years ago and it's the best teriyaki I've ever had.  Now I'm hungry... 

For more quick takes, visit www.thisaintthelyceum.org!

7 Quick Takes: Spiritual lessons from a 4-week old, 2/15/15

Here is yet another baby-themed 7QT.  Having a baby in the house is not only a huge adjustment, but it's also taught me some spiritual lessons.  Who knew?  Little Leo is only 4 weeks old and he's already teaching me things.  

1) Oh boy, I'm a selfish person.  This being our first child, it's a tough realization that our time is no longer our own.  When I'd rather do this, or that, or get something done... I only can if the baby's not being fussy, if my wife doesn't need a hand, etc.  It's an easy thing to say, that we have a put others before ourselves.  It's far more difficult to do on a daily basis.  Quite the learning process!

2) I've seen some analogies, too.  First, poo = sin.  This fits in terms of scale: sharts vs. normal diapers vs. how did that much come out of such a little body?  There is also a scale of sin (cf. 1 John 5:17), and things that are easy to clean up/difficult to clean up.

3) Many of us would just as soon sit in our sin/poo than get cleaned up in confession.  For the  most part, Leo hates getting his diaper changed.  Granted, he's focused on the discomfort of it, and reason doesn't enter into it.  For adults, there are sins that we like, or behaviors we're not willing to change.  If I left Leo in a dirty diaper and never changed it, he'd develop a rash and other worse things.  Sin works the same way, if we stay in our figurative dirty diapers:

"Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death." -James 1:14-15

4) Another analogy: we're the infants, God is the Dad.  We're completely dependent on God--and just as Leo doesn't have a full idea of how much he needs my wife and I, neither do we fully grasp how much we need God.   

5) Our family and friends have been incredibly generous to us.  My wife received many gifts at her baby shower, including a number of hand-made things.  My mom knitted a hat and some booties, and two of her aunts sewed blankets.  I really felt loved and embraced by both our families and the community.  I also had coworkers who gave me baby gifts--ones who I don't even work with on a regular basis.  How humbling it is to be the recipient of such overwhelming generosity!

6) Watching Leo and how he acts when he wants something... does our habit of fit throwing change that much as we grow older?  We react differently than an infant (in most cases), naturally.  I notice it at work... when a coworker does this, when a boss won't let us do that, it can really get on my nerves and get me into a fit.  Sure, I don't wail and cry.  Do I always handle it as a mature adult?  I tell other people how injustly I was treated, with the hope that they'll get irritated and hold a grudge against that person.  

p.s.  I'm not looking forward to Leo turning 2.

7) Prioritization is really key.  I'm amazed at the time that we can waste--though not like I've never done that before.  When we've been up with the baby all night, it feels like we only have the energy to watch TV or surf the internet.  That's fine to a certain extent.  Laundry and dishes are ever present, though, as are the usual household chores.  I've found that I have to take advantage of Leo's naps to get things done rather than relax.  I'm not good at taking advantage of that time, but I know I have to.  :)

For more quick takes, visit www.thisaintthelyceum.org!

7 Quick Takes: Looking Forward Edition, 1/31/15

Having a newborn in the house is, as advertised, a great way to cut down on sleep.  It's also given me more cause to look ahead; I'm excited to see how he grows up, what he'll look like, what his personality will be, and so on.  Here are my quick takes this week of other things I'm looking forward to: 

1) There are a lot of good events for Catholic men in the near future.  At the end of February, there's a brief men's conference in Pendleton: Go West Catholic Men.  I can't help but hear some theme music in the background... 

Okay, no, there isn't any horse riding or shooting (although either of those might boost attendance).  I'm not sure I'll be able to attend, but I have in years past.  It's worth the drive to Pendleton!

2) I've had a history of failed attempts at starting up a book club; the timing never seems to be right.  I began reading Guardini's The Lord and writing about it on this blog--it was neat to discuss it with my mom (the only commenter.  Hi Mom!).  It so happened that one of my failed attempts to start a book group for Advent turned into an actualized book group for Lent!  We'll be reading the second volume of Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth, which covers Holy Week and the Resurrection.  

3) I'm also looking forward to the continuing release of Marvel's Star Wars comics.  They use the original trilogy characters (the best!).  There's a series for all the heroes together; there will also be individual series for Darth Vader and Princess Leia.  It's sort of a rediscovery of my childhood... I wasn't "into" comic books at the time.  Now I get to be a kid again!  

4) Speaking of Star Wars, I'm still eagerly awaiting the release of Episode 7... in 11 months.  It was mentioned in a recent episode of Parks & Recreation: a company slipped a contract item past Adam Scott's character, Ben, by sending it to him on the opening day of Episode 7.  

5) I had my first article published about a month ago, here.  Maybe published isn't quite the right word, but it's an article for a blog.  I received my second assignment, and I'm looking forward to it being done.  It's due in about two days, and here I am writing on my blog...   

6) In a few weeks is the final confirmation retreat at my parish.  I had a great experience at the first one, and the Holy Spirit did not disappoint.  Please say a prayer for the teens that are going on that retreat!

7) My family will be coming into town for my son's baptism.  That above all else is what I'm looking forward to!  And I made it to seven quick takes for the second time in a row... 

For more quick takes, visit www.thisaintthelyceum.org!

7 Quick Takes: New Baby Edition, 1/24/15

Our little boy came into the world rather quickly on Monday night.  Baby Leo Jerome has been our long-awaited child, not just over the last nine months--really, over the last three years.  Multiple medications, lots of doctor visits, two NaPro doctors (one who was especially awesome), trips to Washington and Cincinnati, one surgery and a really sharp surgeon, and more shots than my wife cares to remember.  We are very, very thankful to God for this wonderful blessing!  And also thankful to the countless people who have been praying for us for the past three years.  Waiting was difficult and downright awful at times... but Our Lord is nothing if not faithful.  For all three of you reading this, please say a prayer for those that are still waiting. 


Now for my 7 quick takes on having a baby and becoming a daddy:

1) First things first.  With the angels and saints, and our family and friends who have been praying for us...

"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Matt 7:7-8) 

2) I'm STUNNED at how much my wife has gone through.  I'm so thankful for her; I've come to love her even more than I ever thought possible; I'm so impressed at her capacity to handle everything.  The years of aforementioned shots... getting a c-section... all the recovery involved after surgery...  That's no antihistamine, as Fr. Jerome would say (=nothing to sneeze at, quoting Bullwinkle), everything that led up to the baby being born.  After baby?  I've hardly slept, and my wife has slept even less.  She's amazing, and whatever she's feeling, she's already been an incredible mom. 

3) The lack of sleep thing?  I had no idea.  No.  Idea.  The way the world keeps time doesn't exist anymore.  Day, night, meal times... it's all relative now, until Leo gets onto a more normal sleeping schedule.  There was a commercial recently (that I would've included in this if I could find it) that showed two parents.  The dad says something to the extent of, "The kids are gone for the weekend.  Want to get crazy?"  The mom says yes, and the next frame is of them passed out, asleep.  That sounds SO AWESOME right now, and I could never appreciate it before having a baby.

4) I've been very humbled with the love & generosity with which we've been showered.  Our friends & family have brought us meals, offered help with babysitting, been by to visit, and brought us gifts, too.  Several coworkers brought me gifts for the baby, which surprised me a great deal.  A simple smile & "congratulations!" would've been sufficient... yet they gave a gift.  I feel incredibly loved, and it's hard to figure out what I did to deserve any of it.  

5) Leo's birth happened much quicker than I thought it would, and due to the c-section, our stay in the hospital lasted longer than I expected.  The learning curve has been steep for me--while not incapable, I've never really been around little kids for extended periods of time.  Every new hurdle has started out looking insurmountable, which could be condensed to, what were we thinking?  We can't handle this!  Then, with a little patience, some time, and some hysterical crying (either mine, the baby's, or both), that hurdle is behind us.  

6) My entire life has been reoriented.  I've tried to sit down to write this post a few times today, and didn't get the chance last night.  And blogging falls behind some other things on the list of importance, like trying to keep up with the dishes (moving to plastic & paper), laundry (good luck), taking out the trash (in process), getting the mail (two days late), and even showering.  Who knew showering was such a luxury?  I showered last night at 10:30 p.m. and it was awesome!  Only my second shower since Leo was born five days ago.  This recent commercial is right on point: 

7) The "silence is golden" saying has never been so true.  It's one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, aside from Leo's adorable baby sneezes and baby yawns.  I thought I appreciated the quiet before, in my time as a seminarian.  Quiet time was for study, prayer, contemplation, and watching movies on my computer with headphones.  Now it's vital recharging time for my ears, my sanity, and my sleep.  

For more quick takes, visit www.thisaintthelyceum.org!

7QT: Great Christmas Music edition, 12/27/14

I enjoy singing in my parish choir on large feast days--the choir splits into parts and the instruments blend together with the voices to concoct a heavenly melody.  I sang in the midnight Mass choir this year, and it was a moving experience.  The musicians were incredible, and the vocal talent (myself aside) was impressive.  I felt like we were standing with the angels, singing the praises of the Lord around the heavenly throne.  

In honor of all those who have laid their musical talent down in service of the King of Kings, here are 7 quick takes on great Christmas songs.  Merry Christmas!!!!

--- 1 ---

The Coventry Carol, by the singers of King's College, Cambridge.  Beautiful polyphony!  

--- 2 ---

Gaudete, by the all-female group Medieval Baebes (bonus points for the funny name & spelling).  They're kind of new agey, but this is a nice offering from their Christmas album.  

--- 3 ---

"O Holy Night" takes a big voice to get the most out of the composition... and Celine Dion has a big voice.

--- 4 ---

"What Child Is This" is one of my favorites, and there are many, many good versions out there.  One I just discovered is by a trio of women, the Gardiner Sisters.  I love the harmony they do on the chorus!

--- 5 ---

"Silent Night" was originally written for guitar, but that hasn't stopped musicians from around the world from translating it into their own language and into a gorgeous choral arrangement.  This version is performed by The King's Singer.

--- 6 ---

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

--- 7 ---

Nat King Cole's Christmas album is a standard in our house every year.  One of those guys that makes singing sound effortless!  I haven't heard this carol, "A Cradle in Bethlehem," anywhere else other than this album.  It's too bad--a lovely, peaceful song that fits the season perfectly.  

For more Quick Takes, visit thisaintthelycceum.com

7 Quick Takes: Advent edition, 12/13/14

--- 1 ---

I realize this should probably start with a religious post, but... the teaser for the new Star Wars movie came out!!!  A couple weeks ago, but it was released since I last wrote.  Many serious SW fans are worried that the hiring of J.J. Abrams will destroy the integrity of the franchise.  I share their fears, although I don't have the same hatred for J.J.  First, the prequels sucked.  Bad.  Can J.J. do any worse than George Lucas?  At this point, I'm choosing to answer 'no.'  Second, even if Episode 7 isn't great, it has to be fun, at least.  Kind of like J.J.'s Star Trek movies.  

--- 2 ---
Need good listening for Advent?  Try the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles.  In the glut of Christmas music, they made an album specifically for Advent, Advent at Ephesus.  It's on my iTunes.  Beautiful!  

--- 3 ---
Also on the notes of Advent, and adding in some shameless self-promotion: I've written about prefaces before, and I've written on one of the two Advent prefaces.  By the way, the preface is the prayer that immediately precedes the "Holy, Holy, Holy" at Mass.  For a longer explanation (much longer), check this out.  The prayers cover lots of ground theologically; the mysteries of our faith are packed into this joyful prayer.  Advent has two prefaces, and here's my reflection on the first one.  

--- 4 ---

There is something magical about the Christmas season!  The lights on the tree, all of the ornaments (some that have been with me my whole life), Christmas lights on the house, and the cheesy B-movies on Hallmark and Lifetime.

--- 5 ---
As my book for Advent, I've picked up Pope Benedict's The Infancy Narratives, the third installment in his Jesus of Nazareth series.  He's very insightful, you'd think he'd been studying & reflecting on the Scriptures his whole life.  Whereas the first Jesus of Nazareth book was a little more of a thick read, this is easier without being any less substantial.   

--- 6 ---

The Dodgers made a flurry of deals this week, and only time will tell how good they were.  Still, it looks like we're off to a great start in the offseason.  They signed a fourth starting pitcher, and traded for a better catcher, a new second baseman, and a better shortstop.  People around the league say that the Dodgers have a very gifted front office--I trust them more than previous regimes.  

--- 7 ---

Yeah, can't think of anything to fill this last one, as usual.  

For more Quick Takes, visit thisaintthelycceum.com

7QT: Lazy blogger edition, 10/4/14

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Onto a new book!  Romano Guardini's The Lord.  I'll be putting up discussion posts if anyone has the book and is interested.  We're only on ch. 2 so far!  I remember reading bits and pieces of this book for one of my classes.  I was amazed at the depth of it... so much so that I bought copies as presents for a couple people.  And now, 10 years after I read those bits and pieces, I'm finally getting around to reading the whole thing (hopefully).  

--- 2 ---
I've also finally finished reading through the Gospel of Matthew, chapter by chapter.  I'd really recommend the commentary that I used: The Better Part by Fr. John Bartunek.  It's meant to assist in lectio divina but I mainly used it as a commentary.    

--- 3 ---
Speaking of great resources, did you know Scott Hahn has a website that has free Bible study resources?  Check out www.salvationhistory.com.  I just started listening to the one on Matthew's gospel.  Very cool so far!

--- 4 ---

Fall is here, and the cooler weather is a welcome reprieve from the hot sun.  Hot sun by Oregonian standards is anything over 80, I believe.  I love fall weather but I'm not looking forward to months and months of rain.    

--- 5 ---
New special saint in our lives: St. Leo the Great.  Pope in the 400s and a major influence on the Council of Chalcedon.  Pretty awesome pastor in a turbulent time: heresies like monophysitism and manichaeism.  Check out his famous Tome on the person of Christ.  In a related note, our baby Leo is due in three short months!  Can't wait!

--- 6 ---

The Dodgers have no postseason gear, unlike their new nemesis, the Cardinals.  Makes me very sad... and wishing they'd start chopping the payroll down.  

--- 7 ---
I can never think of a final QT.  Consistency, right? 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes: Etc. & Lighthouse Catholic Media favorites edition, 8/29/14

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We're having a baby boy!  It's surreal and wonderful seeing the baby on the ultrasound.  He was much bigger (of course, which is a good thing) and his little head has grown a lot... he's going to be a good looking kid, that's for sure.  One of the highlights of my life: seeing the little guy play with his foot on the ultrasound. 

--- 2 ---
Happy birthday to my big sister Kristy, who turned __ a week ago today!  (age removed to protect the innocent)   

--- 3 ---
There were some college football games earlier this week, but Notre Dame opened their season with a nice win over Rice today.  In Oregon, football season reignites the major rivalry between the Ducks and Beavers.  Seriously, it's a big deal.  Sure, you hear about college football being big in Texas, and the Midwest, etc.  But it is here too, it's just big everywhere!  I remember teaching a parish CCD class that was made up of 3rd and 4th graders.  We did a coloring activity one night, having the kids trace an outline of their hand and color them.  Yeah, out of the 6-8 kids in the class, at least two or three colored their handprint in Beavers or Ducks colors.

My son will be a Notre Dame fan and can just be amused when people go crazy with Ducks or Beavers fervor.

--- 4 ---

I'm still part of the CD of the month club with Lighthouse Catholic Media.  I highly recommend it!  At the very least, their website is worth checking out.  There are talks from the most well-known Catholic evangelists as well as many other gems.  To fill up the rest of my quick takes, I'll list some of my favorites.  

First up: Scott Hahn's Abba or Allah?  Ecumenical efforts can be confusing sometimes.  In some cases, actual unity/reconciliation is possible with other Christian denominations.  In other cases, like the dialogue with Islam, unity is utterly unrealistic.  For the latter cases, dialogue seems to take a look at the things we do have in common, and working together on those fronts.  Do you want an authentically Catholic take on the similarities/differences between Catholicism and Islam?  Check out this talk.


--- 5 ---

Fr. Robert Barron has been getting more and more well-known over the last few years.  In my humble opinion, it's well deserved.  I really like his cultured & philosophical take on the Catholic faith.  His Sunday sermons are reliably good, too.  His talk, Who Do You Say That I Am?, asks of us the question that Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:15.  Jesus claimed to be God, and the Church has taught that very tenet since her first breath.  

--- 6 ---

I love a good conversion story, and John Pridmore's is a dramatic one: From Gangland to Promised Land.  (Lighthouse also sells his book with that same title)  I sometimes underestimate the power of God's grace, and stories like Pridmore's remind me.  Imagine a thug in the London criminal underground converting to the Catholic faith.  And then imagine that same guy becoming a missionary, speaking at schools, jails, and parish missions throughout the British Isles.  A great listen!

P.S.  I'd recommend reading his blog or liking his Facebook page.  He sends out updates of his mission work and testimonials of his listeners who returned to the Lord.  It's uplifting!  

--- 7 ---
How about an apologetics tome within a conversion story, a la Rome Sweet Home?  Both my wife and I have listed to Steve Ray's Born Again?  Faith Alone? talk from Lighthouse multiple times.  He's engaging and incredibly knowledgeable about the Catholic faith. 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!